Barbara Howe found dead in car trunk

Monroe, OH (WHIO/CNN) - An Ohio woman who had been missing for days has been found in the trunk of her own car.

She was living in a retirement village and its executive director says this death has hit their community hard.

"I'd love to find out who did it, and make sure they don't ever do that to someone ever again," said Stan Kappers with Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village, a Christian retirement community.

Kappers says 87-year-old Barbara Howe had been a resident since 2007. She was a widow, living independently in one of the homes on site.

"Barbara was a beloved women on campus, very friendly, always with a smile," said Kappers.

Howe had been missing since Sunday. Inside the community's chapel staff members and residents joined Howe's family members holding prayer vigils all week.

"We have a very strong, prayerful community here and it, we lift up people in prayer all the time. And in this case, I think that's going to help us, you know weather this storm we're about to deal with," said Kappers.

Authorities say Howe's body was found in her red Cadillac at the Woodridge Park East Apartments in Middletown around 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Monroe police are still investigating the case and have not said how long her body may have been in the car, or why Howe's car was parked at the complex.

There was no sign of foul play at her home in the retirement village, which offers some relief to Kappers and his nearly 450 residents.

"The feeling here is a very tight knit group. The residents and the staff combined together, we're going to make it through," he said.

Howe's family said she was "rather sharp," and didn't suffer from any mental illness.